The Student Newspaper of Mount Saint Joseph High School

Mr. Michael Alfieri, the Mount’s new band and music teacher. (Photo Credit: Ben McElroy)

Michael Alfieri, the new band and music teacher at Mount Saint Joseph High School, is partway through his first year at the Mount. He has been teaching for many years prior to joining the school’s faculty, and has a passion for music practically unrivaled by most teachers here. He has infused the band with his talent and expertise, turning it into a talented and committed group that sounds amazing.

The MSJ band performing during the annual school-wide pep rally. Photograph from the MSJ Quill

While Mr. Alfieri has a long history of teaching music, a lot of it took place in a much larger city, with many more students to teach: New York City. “I actually taught in New York before this. I taught in a school in Brooklyn, and at another in Long Island. And I was also teaching private lessons this whole time, so I was working in music stores, working with kids independently,” says Alfieri when asked about his previous work history. He said he really enjoyed this job, and he would not have left New York if his girlfriend had not gotten a job at John’s Hopkins University. She was assigned John’s Hopkins on the program’s match day, when every medical student is given an envelope designating them to a certain school or institution.

Mr. Alfieri has enjoyed his time at the Mount thus far, especially the devotion of the students to their craft. Photo Credit: Ben McElroy

Michael Alfieri has settled into this job quite nicely, and is having a great time so far. “I have never met such an invested group of students, and I love working with a group that wants to work with me and helps me as much as I help them,” reflects Alfieri. “They really push themselves to improve and don’t just do the minimum to scrape by, like I have experienced in the past.” He also said he enjoyed working alongside the faculty and staff here at the Mount, saying that they are “so helpful and willing to teach me all there is to know about this school.” It is clear that Mount Saint Joseph is very supportive of their new teachers, and this is something that Mr. Alfieri enjoys about the school.

Mr. Alfieri also recommended some things for people pursuing a career in music. He emphasized that the musicianship must be top-notch, and you must be willing to try new experiences. “Say yes to a lot of different things, if there’s an opportunity go for it,” he said, “it may not be exactly what you want to do, it may not be your dream job, but it gives you the experience.” This is something that can apply in many other fields as well, and it is something that Mr. Alfieri has used to his advantage throughout his career. He specified that he learned instruments that he wasn’t necessarily a master at, but knowing how to play them has ended up helping him later on in life.

Mr. Michael Alfieri is an extremely talented musician, and has already impacted the students in his classes, with one of his students in his guitar class saying, “I have Mr. Alfieri as a teacher, and I really enjoy learning from him…He makes music fun, and keeps me entertained and excited to learn more.” It is clear to see Mr. Alfieri is doing something right to get his students excited about their music classes. His passion and skill have definitely inspired people to learn more about music at the Mount, and hopefully, his work continues to positively impact the school, and the students he works with.

Ben McElroy is a junior and a member of the Multimedia Journalism class.